Distillation and carbonization retort and process of operating the same



Fai 22 .1927.

F. QUPLAN DISTILLATION AND GARBONIZATI'QN -gsToR'rmp PROCESS 0F'OPERATING THE SAME Filed ect. 15,1925. :a Snetsnsnet @u @i @a ,a n *'gy; 4 /mn A y, k i

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Patented Feb. 22, 1927.

UNITED STATES l 1,518,865 PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS DUPLAN, 0F ARCUEIL, TRANCE.

DISTILLATION AND CARBNIZATION RETOR'L AND PROCESS OF OPERATING THE SAME.

Application filed October 1'5, 1923, SeralNo. 668,655, and in FranceOctober 20, 1922.

The present invention is an improved retort or furnace for thedistillation and carbonization Vof all kinds of substances and matters,and an improved process of distillation and carbonization by means ofwhich the evolved vaporsorgases are not only prevented fromcondensing-inthe heating chamber but are also prevented from beingdissociated, decomposed or otherwise injuriously altered during thedistillation. Briefly, this is accomplished by making the heatpermeability of the to .of the retort chamber such that during hedistillation there will be no thermic reaction of the under-surface ofthe top upon the vapors or fumes given olf by the matter undertreatment. In yother words, by supplying heat from below and rapidlycarrying off a predetermined amount of heat by radiation through thetopy of the heating chamber, the temperature in the upper portion of'such chamber during the distillation will be maintained at a pointwhich will not cause the gases to condense or to be injuriouslyaffected.

In practicing the invention I make use of a furnace or retort which hasa lower Ior body ortion of.v the coke-oven type but which proper loss ofheat to accomplish the desired result.v By coke-oven 'type I mean afurnace which has a sole-plate heated only from below and arrangedbetween side walls usually of masonry so as to permit of the minimumloss of heat. yIn the preferred form of top for the heat-ing chamber orretort, I employ spacedmetal plates separated by a predeterminedinterval which depends upon the temperature to be maintained in the topportion of the heating cham- In such a retort the heat must pass upthrough the sole-plate, the matter under treatment, the atmosphere ofthe chamber and the special top before it reaches the outer atmosphere.With a known temperature-at the sole-plate and a known temperature ofthe external air, the successively deceasing temperatures of they matterunder treatment and of the different parts of the retort through whichthe heat passes, can be readily calculated after the normal rate ofoperation of the retort has been decided upon. These heat losses dependupon the nature of and upon the thicknessi of the several layerstraversed by theheat and they can be calculated in advance by the use ofas a special top tol provide for the A the laws for the transmission ofheat. If the distance separating the two metal plates forming the topwallof the heating or distillation. chamber is conveniently adjusted, itbe easy to obtain for the under sur.- faceof such top wall incontactwith the atmosphere of the chamber, the required temperature so thatthere will be no condensation, dissociation or chemical alteration ofthe vapors or gases evolving through the distillation, the carbonizationor the pyrogenation of the matter under treatment.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a retort which is one of manypossible embodiments of the invention, and by means of Which the newprocess maybe carried out.

F ig. 1 is a longitudinal section taken on line A-A of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is across section taken on line B-B of Fig. 1.

In the drawings 1 denotes the heating or distillation chamber which isbounded at its bottom by a sole-plate 2, at its sides by an upright wall3 and at its top by. a heatdissipating cover preferably composed ofarched metal plates 4 and 5 separated by an air space 6. At the frontend of the retort wall '3 is an opening 7. for the introduction andremoval of the substance or matter to be treated, the latter beingplaced either directly on the sole-plate or in a suitable receptacle 8made of metal or other material and supported on the sole-plate. Thevapors or gases evolved during the treatment are exhaustedthrough a pipe9 preferably in the wall 3 at the rear end of the retort.

lVhile the'sole-plate may be heated from4 below by any suitable means, Ihave illus` trated it heated by the combustion of gases whichare fedthrough ducts 10 and 11 into channels 12 and 13 provided with burnerports 14: and 15. The latter open into combustion flues 16 that areimmediately beneat-h the sole-plate 2. 17 denotes iues for the escape ofthe products of combustion and 18 air inlet ducts provided in the wallsof these flues and `used for the recovery of part of the heat. Theseducts 18 are connected with the duct 11 by suitable assages not shown.19 and 2OI designate sig t-openings provided in the ducts12, land 17.

The upright wall 3 of the heating chamber is preferably composed ofcast-iron and is surrounded by a body of sand 21 which in turn issurrounded by brick-work 22 rising from the masonry in which the burnersl.. reouperators are mounted shown in The upright Wells ol the retort orthus composed ot' a cust-iron oriion spaced from amasonry outer l risesto a height above the east- 1 ner stall member 3, and the latter vissectio s. the lower one being' pernd the upper one 25, which spaces topor corel' plates e and 57 heing e and replaceable by another ot nheight. The height of this Wall or extension 25 is selected for the of.spacing the plates lf ond 5 apart enter or lesser extent and hence con eheat permeability of the retort ne opening 7 may be closed by a hollow./.3 whieh may he mounted to slide ioslljf in. suitable guitleivays 24;in the t portion of the side Wall, or otherwise :reel the under taco ot'the plate 'covered with a refractory coating wn) to prevent theproducts oi' dis- 'roin coming into Contact with the e .elle the sideWalls are preferably made as shown, they may be ot other oonstruo tions,und this is also true ot the special top tor the heating chamberalthough li prefer .y employ spaced plates 'which are separated 'tromeach other bf; an interval whieh will vary aroordingr to the teiperature it is desired to maintain at the top ot the heet t" .ine "lamber. The Space into'frening the if; and 5 may be inerel)y deed or itmay contain any at rest i i contirmous eireulation; or it niey be i.tilted with a suitable heat insulating matethat will give the top thedesired per ilitr to heat.

' ine; out the new pro-ness, the nce to he treated is placed in the 1 ofthe l1eetin;. rlsuinber either noon the sole-plaie or in a receprlhesole-plate heated to temperature armi-ding l l tue nmez.' treatment, andthe eglises or 1von oft l'roin the nzateri'il :in` ilnwn of heating;chamber hrough the out-- hereof. Since the heat supplied only )ugh thesoloplute it must r' vertieifllif through the retort` and sinre the heatperuit a predetermined. loss of heat by ,rucliatirui` there will hemaintained in the top ot the heating' chamber a temperature whieh isbetween that et which the evolved gases or vapors will he condensed andthat i they will be decomposed, Clisso-` at 'wha tion of the retort.

bility ot the top or ooreir is ronde to ciatetl or otherwise injured.'Such temperature 'tor the top of the heatinglr chamber will. ot course,depend upon the material being treated und the distillation productsbeing recovered; but the special top or cover for 70 the heating chamberWill permit of the proper loss ot heat b v radiation so that the dosiredtemperature is maintained in this por- I thus regulate the tcmperatureby the loss of heat through the top 75 ot the retort rather than byregulating' the amount of heat Supplied at the bottom thereot'. .lt willot course be understood that it the gases tobe recovered are zgiven oliat a cert-ain temperature, it will be necessary to 89 have a highertemperature at the sole-plate or bottom ot the heating chamber in orderfor the heat to penetrate to the center of the :mass ot material beingftreated, butsince the top ot the heating chamber is cooled by 35 `theradiation of heat through the retort top the gases as they are evolvedwill rise to zones-ot lower temperature and will not be injuriouslyaffected in their passage to the outlet. 90

l. ln a process of operating a retort, hav ing a distillation chamberwith a sole-plate and with a heat dissipating top7 and with r means for'heating said chamber through 9 said sole-plate trom below the same, andin which oarbonaceous material is being" destructively distilled;supplying heat to said. chamber through said sole-plate and reguu latingthe loss of heat through said top so A00 that the temperature in theupper portion ot said chamber Will be such that there will not beany-substantial comiensationj dissociation or chemical alteration of theevolved M gases in said upper portion. lo

Q. A distillation and oarbonization retort comprising a soleeplate.heating means beneath the lattersidewalls rising trom'the, solo-plateanti a heat dissipating top forming in connection with the side Wallsand soleno plete a heating` chamber, said top including verticallyspaced superposecl substantially horizontal plates and means tor varyingthe rrrtioul distance between the plates to permit ot' a predeterminedloss ot heat by ra- 115 diution so that during,r the distillation ot thenmtter under treatment. the portion of the rhauaber immediately beneathsaid top will he maintained 'at a temperature at which he. will nosubstantial condensation, 12o di. mation or chemical alteration of theby the heat permeability ofthe retort top may be conveniently adjustedto maintain the underside of the lowexI` plate of the top at suchtemperature that there will be no substantial condensation. dissociationor chemical alteration of the vapors evolved from the matter undertreatment.

together with an louter Wall" around and spaced from the sectionalWalland rising to a height above the latter, and a filling of sandbetween said outer Wall and said seotional Wall.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signedmy name.

- FRANCIS DUPLAN.

, upper and lower plates spaced apart by said 4; A structure asspecified in claim 3; 10

upper removable section of the Wall, Where-

